Card-holding clip for typewriters



v w. A. BURTON.

CARD HOLDING CLIP FOR TYFEWRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1920.

Patented De0.20,1921;

W M j W, M

CARD-HOLDING- CLIP FOR TYPEWRITERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2o, rear.

Application filed November 15, 1920. Serial No. 424,024.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WARD A. BURTON, a citizen of Great Britain, residing at Pittsbur h, in the county of Allegheny and State of T'ennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Card-HoldingClips for Typewriters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to card holding clips for typewriters.

Among the objects of my invention is to provide clips which may be readily applied and clamped about the platen of a type writer for holding the lower marginal portion of an index or other card taut and against the platen so that a name and address or other desired data may be typed along such edge of the card without such edge bulging outward or being in the way to be struck by the ribbon guide as it is projectedup over such edge during the operation of the typewriter.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a perspective view of a typewriter platen having a pair of card holding clips of my invention applied and clamped about the same and holding an index or other card in position permitting a name and address or other desired data to be typed on a straight line along the lower marginal edge of the card;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged'vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; p r

Fig. 3 is a front view of one of said clips;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a front view of another form of oli i n the drawings, 1 indicates the platen of a typewriter, and about the same are applied two members or clips 2, 3, each being preferably made from a strip or ribbon of sheet metal or other material and bent to have an annular body portion 4 to fit about the platen and severed or split at one point in its circumference so that the body portion may be opened up in being applied. about and removed from the platen, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The severed ends ofv the body portion meet when applied about the laten, and such ends. are provided with inter ocking parts for holding the body portion on the platen. These parts, in the form of clip shown in Figs. 1 to .4, comprise a slot 5 in one end to receive an out-turned hook shaped edge 6 on the other end.

The body portion 4 of each clip 2, 3 has a notch 7 in one of its side edges and a tongue 8 at the base of the notch and integral with the body portion, as shown. Each tongue 8 is formed by continuing the inner edge of the notch down to the base of the tongue and thus separate that edge of the tonguefrom the body 4: by a line of severance or slit {9, as shown in Fig. 3. The notch and tongue in the clip 2 are in the right-hand side edge of the clip, while the corresponding parts 1n the clip 3 are in the left-hand side edge thereof, so that when the two clips are applied about the platen 1, the tongues and notches are on the inside of the clips and are dlrectly opposite each other to permit the lower corners of an index or other card 10 to be inserted into the notches and behind the tongues, as shown in Fig. 1.

The clips 2, 3 are applied about the platen l in the following manner. The interlocked ends of the body portion 4 are disconnected and the clips permitted to be opened up, this being allowed by theresilienoy of the material of which the clips are made. When opened, that portion of each clip havmg the notch and tongue is inserted or threaded, so to speak, under the platen from the rear thereof, and such end brought up from under the platen to the front of the same and the ends interlocked to cause the body portiont to encircle the platen with the notch and tongue atthe front of the same. A pencil or other line is drawn on the platen lengthwise thereof and horizontally straight, to mark where the lower edge 11 of the card 10 will be when typing on the same immediately above such edge. The clips are then moved apart along the platen to locate the tongues 8 in positions to receivebehind them the lower corners of the card when the latter is inserted behind said tongues. When so positioned, the clips are adjusted about the platen to aline the bases of the tongues with said line, whereupon the clips are clamped tightly on the platen to hold them in place, this being accomplished by providing adjustable clamping means on each clip. 7

The clamping means for each clip, in the form shown inthe drawings, comprises an outwardly extending loop shaped portion 12, formed integral with the body portion loop is a ferrule or band 13 serving to draw the legs of the loop together and contract the diameter of said body portion to clamp or tighten the same about the platen when the ferrule is moved toward the platen. When theferrule is slid up on the loop, it allows the clip to expand and loosen upon the platen, so that it may be opened up and be removed from the platen. This form of clamp means permits using the clips with platens of different diameters, so that the clips may be applied to platens of typewriters of dillerent makes.

In applying a card 10 to the clips, the lower corner portions of the card are inserted into the notches 7 and back of the tongues 8, with the corner portions extending outward beyond the outer sideedges of the tongues through the slits 9. The tongues 8 being resilient are forced slightly outward by the portions of the card therebehind and this causes the tongues to hold the lower marginal portion of the card in flat and firm contact with the platen. The corner portions of the card-overlappingthe clips outside of the tongues, causes the latter to offset inward against the platen, the lower marginal portion of the. card extending between the clips, holding the card taut and in contact throughout itslength with the platenso that the impact of the type- V writer type on the card will be the same as when writing on a paper sheet in the usual manner of 'typewriting, and thus gain a clean, clear, and legible impression along the lower edge of the card. Furthermore, thecard is held inward away from the ribbon guide, which on some makes of machines is projected upward each time a type key is struck, thus preventing the ribbon guide from striking the lower edge of the card and displacing it out of its proper position. The clips of my invention are particularly applicable in making index cards of that type which are employed in a filing cabinet where the cards are placed flatwise one upon the other with their lower marginal portions exposed to view and withlthe main index matter on such portions of the cards.

By the use of these clips, typing on the lower marginal portions of the cards is made possible and readily accomplished, the clips being allowed to remain on the platen as long as cards are being indexed. The loops 13 serve as finger pieces, permitting ready handling of the clips both in applying theclips about the platen and also adjusting them preparatory to clamping.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a slightly different manner of connecting the adj acent ends of the body of the clip so that the body may be contracted within a given range for application to platens of various diameters. As shown in said figure, this is accomplished by providing one end of the body with a plurality of slots 14 and the other end with an inturned hook shaped edge 15. The form of clip shown in this figure is also provided with a card receiving notch, 16 and a tongue 17 for the same'purpose as in the clip shown in the preceding figures, but it will be noted that the notch 16 is much longer than the notch 7, and the tongue 17 is proportionately longer than the tongue 8. This permits typing on a larger area alcngthe lower marginal portion of the card than possible with the type of construction shown in the preceding figures. With the construction shown in Fig. 5, several lines may betyped along such edge of the card.

While Ichave shown and described herein 7 in detail one form of my invention, it is of course to be understood that the various details of construction and arrangement of p'artsmay be var1ously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a typewriter platen, of two separate annular members removably clamped about said platen in lateral spaced relation, said members having means to receive the lower corners of an index or other card for holding the lower marginal portion of the card between the members in contact with the platen to permit typing of a name and address or other desired data along and adjacent the lower edge of the card. V I '2. The combination with a typewriter platen, of two annular members, each having a notch and a resilient tongue on one side edge thereof, said members being clamped about the platen with the notches and tongues opposite each other and to receive the lower corners of an index orother card for holding the lower marginal portion of the card between the members in contact with the platen to permit typing along and adjacent the lower margin of the card.

3. The combination with a typewriter platen, of two split annular members, each member being provided with a notch and a tongue on one side edge thereof, each of said members being provided with means for clamping the same about the platen with the notches and tongues opposite each other and in substantially horizontal alinement toreceive the lower corners of an index or other card for holding the lower marginal portion of the card between said members in contact with the platen to permit typing along and members having means for clamping the same about the platen when the ends of the members are interlocked and with the notches and tongues opposite each other to receive the lower corners of an index or other card for holding the lower marginal portion of the card extending between said members in contact with the platen to permit typing along and adjacent the lower edge of the card.

5. A device of the character described, made from a strip of resilient material and comprising a split annular body portion adapted to be applied about a typewriter platen, the split ends of the body portion having interlocking parts, means for con tracting the body portion about a platen when the ends of the body portion are interlocked, said body portion being provided at one side edge thereof with a notch and a tongue to receive one of the lower corners of an index or other card.

6. A device of the character described, made from a strip of sheet metal and comprising a split annular body portion adapted to be applied about a typewriter platen, the ends of the body portion being provided with interlocking parts, said body portion being provided at one point in its circumference with a loop shaped portion, the legs of which being integral with said body por tion and extending outward therefrom a band slidably engaged about the legs of the loop to contract the body portion and clamp the same about the platen, said body portion being provided at one side thereof with an outwardly opening notch and a tongue at the base of the notch to permit the lower corner of a card to be engaged by the tongue.

7. A device of the character described, made from a strip of sheet metal and com prising a split annular body portion adapted to be applied about a typewriter platen, one end of the body portion adjacent the point of severance being provided with a plurality of notches and the other end of the body portion having a hook-shaped edge to en gage any one of said slots for adjustably clamping the body portion about the platen, said body portion having means for contracting the diameter thereof for clamping the same about the platen, and having in one side edge thereof a notch and a tongue at the bottom of the notch.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, 1 afiix my signature, this 8th day of November, A. D. 1920.

WARD A. BURTON. 

